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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((COVID WORLD WRAP (TV)
HEADLINE: World Continues to Battle Resurgent COVID-19
TEASER: Omicron’s BA.2 is the latest variant wreaking havoc
PUBLISHED AT: 04/07/2022 at 5:38 pm
BYLINE: LAUREL BOWMAN
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Jepsen
VIDEO SOURCE (S):
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 1:55
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((WEB/TV INTRO))
[[Surges of the COVID-19 omicron variant called BA.2 have put countries around the world on alert. It’s now the dominant variant in the U.S., where a fourth booster has been approved for people older than 50. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has more.]]
((NARRATOR))
Since March, China has been battling its biggest COVID wave yet, with cases peaking in Shanghai. The government locked down the city of more than 24 million people and is requiring mass testing. Public transportation is now halted, and the once busy streets are largely empty.
((NARRATOR))
In the United Kingdom, lines are long at airports and flights are grounded by flight staff sicknesses. England has seen a new surge of COVID-19 in recent weeks, with infection rates at their highest since the pandemic began.
((NARRATOR))
First detected in January, BA.2, which is a sub lineage of omicron, is now the main cause of COVID-19 cases globally. And it’s the dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 72% of variants circulating the country, according to U.S. health authorities.
((For radio only: Rochelle Walensky is the Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention))
((Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director)
“There’s no evidence that BA.2 results in more severe disease compared with the BA.1 variant, nor does it appear to be more likely to evade immune protection than BA.1. But BA.2 does appear to be more transmissible than BA.1.”
((NARRATOR))
The U.S. government is putting a focus on long COVID, with the Department of Health and Human Services leading efforts to improve care for people with the condition, offer education about it and advance research.
((For radio only: Xavier Becerra is the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services))
((Xavier Becerra, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary))
1:20 “Long COVID is real and there is still so much we don’t know about it. Millions of Americans may be struggling with lingering health effects ranging from things that are easier to notice like trouble breathing or irregular heartbeat, to less apparent but potentially serious conditions related to the brain or mental health.”
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden received his second booster shot, urging Americans over 50, who’ve just been cleared to do so, to get one, too.
((Laurel Bowman, VOA News, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsHealth
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateApril 7, 2022 17:49 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
